Name: 
 

Feudal Japan and its Westernization Study Guide



Completion
Complete each statement.
 

 1. 

The supreme military leader of Japan, called the ____________________, ruled in the emperor’s name.
 

 

 2. 

In the 1600s, a new type of drama emerged in Japan called ____________________, in which actors sang, danced, and pantomimed while wearing elaborate costumes and makeup.
 

 

 3. 

____________________, which means “way of the warrior,” was a strict code of ethics in feudal Japan.
 

 

 4. 

____________________ Buddhism, a form of Buddhism adopted by many Japanese feudal warriors, stressed discipline and meditation as ways to focus the mind and gain wisdom.
 

 

 5. 

The ____________ were highly idealistic samurai who felt that the arrival of Westerners was an attack on the traditional values of Japan.
 

 

 6. 

In feudal Japan, local ____________________, powerful warlords who held large estates, gained control of their own territories and battled one another for power.
 

 

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 7. 

In the 1600s, this new type of theater emerged in Japan in which the actors sang, danced, pantomimed, wore elaborate costumes and makeup and all roles were played by male actors.
a.
shogun theater
c.
kanagawa
b.
noh drama
d.
kabuki
 

 8. 

How was Tokugawa Ieyasu, a powerful daimyo, able to gain control of Japan by the year 1600?
a.
he used firearms imported from the Portuguese to win decisive battles
c.
he paid the most powerful samurai to follow him into battle
b.
he tricked other samurai into giving him land through Buddhist meditation
d.
he addicted other samurai to opium imported from the Chinese
 

 9. 

During the Tokugawa period, the role of the samurai changed because
a.
the emperor gained power.
c.
feudalism disappeared.
b.
peace put the samurai out of work.
d.
Confucianism gained in popularity.
 

 10. 

A samurai who was defeated in battle was expected to do which of the following?
a.
commit ritualistic suicide called seppuku
c.
lose his rank of samurai and become a peasant farmer
b.
pledge his services the victorious daimyo
d.
commit bushido in the presence of other samurai
 

 11. 

Christian missionary activity in feudal Japan resulted in
a.
the conversion of many Japanese and later persecution of Christians and missionaries.
b.
few conversions and little interest from Japanese people or the government.
c.
the adoption of Christianity as the official state religion.
d.
a new era of religious tolerance.
 

 12. 

Which of the following statements best describes trade between Japan and Europe by 1650?
a.
Trade agreements with European nations had undermined Japan’s economy.
b.
Japan had ceased to trade with any European nations at all.
c.
Japan was trading only with the Dutch.
d.
Japanese trade was flourishing, particularly with Portugal, Holland, and Spain.
 

 13. 

Under the Tokugawa shoguns, Japan achieve relative peace and stability as a unified state.  Which of the following is not a way in which the Tokugawa shoguns achieved this?
a.
focused population growth on villages rather than cities
c.
increased the economic activity within Japan
b.
increased agricultural production
d.
created the “Five Highways” to improve trade
 

 14. 

These were local warlords in feudal Japan who owned large tracts of land and would hire samurai to protect their villages.
a.
artisans
c.
daimyos
b.
meijis
d.
shoguns
 

 15. 

What was the slogan for many Japanese during the late 1800s as Japan began to westernize?
a.
Samurai traditions, Western economy!
c.
Japanese spirit, Western technology!
b.
Flowers, tea, and Swords!
d.
Chinese tea, British opium!
 

 16. 

Since feudal Japan had no central authority to unify its people, how were new leaders chosen?
a.
the emperor would elect a new shogun
c.
powerful daimyos fought for the title of shogun
b.
the warrior class would vote to elect a local daimyo as shogun
d.
Buddhist monks would choose the next shogun
 

 17. 

Which of the following means “way of the warrior” and was a strict code of ethics for the samurai in feudal Japan?
a.
daimyo
c.
bushido
b.
meiji
d.
shogun
 

 18. 

To be an “enlightened” Japanese citizen in the late 1800s, one would have to become
a.
part of the warrior class of Japan.
c.
a follower of bushido and the samurai traditions.
b.
more like the Westerners entering Japan’s ports.
d.
a prominent government official.
 

 19. 

The supreme military leader of Japan who ruled in the emperor’s name and controlled the true power of feudal Japan was called the:
a.
daimyo
c.
samurai
b.
Zen Buddhist
d.
shogun
 

 20. 

In early feudal Japan, female samurai could do which of the following?
a.
participate in business
c.
train to fight
b.
inherit property
d.
all of the above
 

 21. 

The Samurai way of life consisted of
a.
building castles for the emperor and fighting using Zen Buddhism
b.
fighting constant wars and working their way to the title of emperor
c.
trading with European powers and receiving monetary payment for their services
d.
a strict code of ethics called Bushido focused around meditation and training
 

 22. 

What did the US want with Japan when Commodore Matthew Perry first arrived in Japanese ports?
a.
a haven for ship-wrecked sailors
c.
all answers are correct
b.
coaling stations
d.
another trading partner
 

 23. 

What event finally convinced Japan that they needed to “open up” to western trade and influence?
a.
the assassination of the Emperor Meiji
c.
the French Revolution
b.
the Shi-Shi samurai overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate
d.
the Chinese Opium War with Britain
 

Short Answer
 

 24. 

How were the samurai of feudal Japan similar to and different from the knights of medieval Europe?  Give 2 similarities and 2 differences.
 

 25. 

What reforms were made and what changes ocurred in Japan during the Meiji period?  Please draw the web diagram from class.  Be sure to include who the Japanese “selectively borrowed” from in your diagram.
 

 26. 

What is selective borrowing and how did the Meiji Emperor use it to modernize Japan?
 

 27. 

What was the structure of the rigid class system that existed in feudal Japan starting in the 1100s and what was the role of each class?
 



 
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